Can-cover fastener.



W. J. TETREAULT.

'- GAN COVER FASTENER.

APPLICATION 11.31) AUG. 24, 1909.

946,586, Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

awe/whip UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WILLIAM J. TETREAU LT, OF PUTNAM, CONNECTICUT.

CAN-COVER FASTENER.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. Tn'rnEAUL'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Putnam, in the county of W indham and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Cover Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in fastening devices for the lids of milk cans and other receptacles or containers.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical spring fastener of this character which will effectively secure the cover or lid of a can or the like.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a milk can having my improved fastener applied to its cover. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the aws.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 denotes the neck or top of a milk can or similar receptacle or container. Said neck is provided with a surrounding reinforcing rib or flange 2 which forms a shoulder for engagement by the jaws 3 of my improved fastener. Said jaws are formed by the enlarged angularly bent outer ends of a pair of levers 4, the inner ends of which are pivotally united and arranged for sliding movement in vertical guides between the cover or lid 5 of the can and the inverted U-shaped handle 6 of said cover. Said inner ends of the jaw levers 4 are notched to form tongues, which latter are bent upon themselves to provide alined hinge eyes 7 for the reception of a pintle or pivot pin 8. Said pin 8 is preferably formed by the central portion of a wire loop 10, the ends of which latter project and slide in channeled upright guides 11 between the cover and the top of the handle 6. The upper portion of the wire loop is provided with an eye 12 formed by bending one end of said wire, and the other end of the latter is hooked into an aperture 13 in one of the jaw levers 4. The eye 12 is engaged with the lower end of a Specification ofeLetters Patent.

Application filed August 24, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 514,432.

coil spring 14, the upper end of which is secured at 15 to the top of the handle 6 so that said spring tends to elevate the inner connected ends of the jaw levers and thereby draw the jaws 8 against opposite points of the shoulder or flange 2 to fasten the cover upon the can. The intermediate portions of the jaw levers 4 are guided in their sliding and swinging movement by guide loops 16 formed by the elongated eyes or eye bolts 17 passed through and secured in the cover 5 as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, assuming the cover to be in position on the can, when it is desired to remove the cover the handle 6 is grasped with the thumb and first finger on the aw levers 4, the latter are depressed thereby causing the jaws 3 .to be swung outwardly out of engagement with the shoulder 2 to unlock or unfasten the cover. By reversing this operation the cover may be quickly secured upon the can. It will be noted that when the cover is thus fastened it will be securely retained in position on the can so that it can not come off should the can be overturned.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination of a container having external shoulders at its top, a-cover for the container, a pair of jaw levers having jaws at their outer ends to engage said shoulders, means on said cover for mounting the inner ends of said jaw levers for vertical sliding movement, and a spring for elevating the inner ends of said jaw levers and maintaining their outer ends or jaws in engagement with said shoulders.

2. The combination of a container having external shoulders at its top, a cover for the container, jaw levers having at. their outer ends jaws for engagement with said shoulders, a handle on said cover, means on said cover for mounting the inner ends of said jaw levers for vertical movement and a coil spring between the handle and said jaw levers for elevating the inner ends of the latter and maintaining their jaws in engagement with said shoulders.

3. The combination of a container having external shoulders at its top, a cover for the guides, a pair of jaw levers having alined hinge eyes at their inner ends and jaws at their outer ends for engagement with said shoulders, a wire loop arranged in said hinge eyes to pivotally connect the jaw levers, the projecting ends of said loop being I slidahle in said guides, one end of the wire forming said loop being bent to provide an eye and the other end being anchored in one of said jaw levers, guides on the cover for the intermediate portions of the jaw levers and a coil spring having its upper end connected to said handle and its lower end engaged with said eye.

4. The combination of a container having external shoulders at its top, a cover for the container, a handle for the cover, upright guides, a pivot "ertically slidable in said guides, a pair of jaw levers to swing from said pivot and provided at their outer ends to engage said shoulders on opposite points of the container, guides upon the cover for the intermediate portions of the levers, and a spring for elevating the pivoted inner ends of said levers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. \VILLIAM J TETREAULT. it nesses THOMAS F. RYAN, HENRY DUPUY. 

